Gender diversity a matter of basic civil rights

The topic of gender nonconformity ranks among my most favorite, yet I was deeply troubled by Lawrence Brown's representation of the topic in his opinion piece titled "When gender isn't what is seems" (June 20).

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Posted Jul. 1, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Jul. 1, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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The topic of gender nonconformity ranks among my most favorite, yet I was deeply troubled by Lawrence Brown's representation of the topic in his opinion piece titled "When gender isn't what is seems" (June 20).

First, the term "transgendered," which was used liberally through the article, is both offensive and grammatically incorrect. There are many other appropriate terms to use, "transgender" being one of them.

Second, the nuancing of gender identity is not necessarily about "souls being born in the wrong body" and the subsequent swapping of gendered identities or body parts. There are many gender-nonconforming individuals who occupy spaces in between the polar extremes of the gender binary.

Third, gender identity and sexual orientation, which were conflated throughout the article, are completely distinct. It is misleading to suggest that if "a transgendered person still finds no way out, then their sexual emancipation requires them to live as they feel." The expression of gender is not a function of sexual attraction or emancipation; it is a function of one's deeply felt gender identity.

The acknowledgment of gender diversity is a matter of civil rights. For those of you who enjoy the privilege of unquestioned gender identity, I ask you to self-educate and practice humanizing those whose paths to gender self-discovery are a bit more complicated.